US medical organizations release vaccine recommendations amid federal guidance delay
Key Points
- The medical alliance led by the AMA and AAP issued independent clinical guidance for flu/COVID-19/RSV vaccines.
- Federal CDC recommendations were delayed due to lawsuits over policy changes under the Kennedy administration.
- The University of Minnesota's independent review found no new risks in the safety of existing vaccines.
- The federal government only extended the flu guidance; it did not issue updates for COVID-19 and RSV.
- In March, a federal judge blocked many of Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.
By the Numbers
The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), among other medical organizations, have come together to issue their own clinical guidance for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccines. This move came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) federal vaccine recommendations were delayed due to litigation. Policy changes under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s administration were criticized by the medical community as contrary to scientific consensus.
An independent review by the University of Minnesota's Vaccine Safety Project confirmed no new safety risks for the existing vaccines against these viruses. The federal government has so far only extended the 2025 influenza vaccine guidance, and has not issued updated recommendations for COVID-19 and RSV. Vaccination rates continue to decline amid a post-pandemic wave of misinformation.
Last year, Kennedy launched a sweeping reform that included removing the hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns and altering measles and COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. In March, a federal judge ruled that the government had ignored evidence-based methods, blocking many of these changes and halting the function of the expert committee that advises the CDC.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why did medical associations publish their own vaccine guidance?
- Because the CDC's federal vaccine recommendations were delayed due to litigation over policy changes under Health Secretary Kennedy, the associations issued their own guidance, stating that patients and clinicians needed reliable, evidence-based information.
- For which vaccines did the federal government issue guidance?
- The federal government has so far only extended the 2025 guidance for the seasonal flu vaccine; it did not issue updated recommendations for COVID-19 and RSV vaccines.
- What is the status of Kennedy's vaccine policy changes?
- In March, a federal judge ruled that the government had not followed evidence-based procedures, blocking many measures including the removal of the newborn hepatitis B vaccine recommendation and changes to COVID-19 and measles recommendations.
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